A Thing Called Family
by FangirlFangirlOnTheCeiling
Summary: "I remembered what Abigail had told me when I was younger. 'Mom and dad once called them to take away a ghost once. It was in 1984, actually. Just before I was born.'" Katrina gets a call from someone she's hardly known: Her parents


**Just a little oneshot idea that I had. Read and please review!**

**I do not own Ghostbusters**

**Set after **_**The New Secretary**_** but before **_**Knife Thrower**_

_**Katrina's POV**_

12:01. I stared down at the phone that sat on my desk. No noise came from anywhere in the firehouse and it had been like this for 3 days. What had I done in that time? I tried to set up Egon with someone, and to my dismay it didn't work out. Again.

My time traveller wasn't charged to 50%, so I couldn't go anywhere for at least 1 more day. Staying here with nothing to do – and in 1984, when there was no wifi – bored me to tears.

The phone, it was ringing. I answered instantly, "Hello, Ghostbusters."

"Uh, yeah, m-my home's being haunted." A man stuttered through the phone.

"Can you describe it for me?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah, it's ah, um, w-white ghost. He has three eyes and a tail."

I wrote this down on a sheet of paper. This ghost seemed interesting, perhaps I'd be able to come. "Address?" I asked.

The man gave me an address and I hung up the phone, finally, a call! I pressed the button to call the guys down and watched as Peter, Winston and Ray slid down the poles, Egon coming up from the lab. I handed Peter the sheet and he read through it, "Uh, can I come? Please?" I asked.

"Ask Ray." He mumbled, going to the wardrobe, murmuring something to Ray.

Ray walked over to me in his uniform, "You really wanna come?"

"Yes, please. I mean, I could document this for research." I tried to convince him.

He shrugged, "Sure. Document it, OK?" I nodded excitedly. I got up and pulled on my hoodie, diving my hands after I grabbed a notebook and pen.

I had documented everything. The ghost had been trapped, and now the guys were just surveying the damage.

"No need to worry, we'll be moving soon to Australia anyway." A new voice said, coming from another room. She was heavily pregnant and she had curled brown hair. She looked fairly young, they both did. 25 most probably. She greeted her blonde husband with a kiss on his cheek; she had freckles...Just like mine.

I remembered what Abigail had told me when I was younger. _Mom and dad once called them to take away a ghost once. It was in 1984, actually. Just before I was born._

"What did you say your names were, again?" I asked them.

"I'm John Neilson, this is my wife Claudia." John introduced. John and Claudia Neilson. _They were my parents_. Peter looked to me with his peripheral vision and I gave a blink nod. He walked to my parents and started to discuss things and I turned to Ray, Egon and Winston.

"Those are my parents." I told them.

"We figured." Egon told me.

"What do I do? I mean, I didn't really know them. If I told them I was their daughter, it'd-"

"Rip a hole in the space time continuum, yeah we know. You can just go talk to them like a friend." Winston told me.

"May I?" I asked the guys.

They nodded, "Of course." Ray told me.

I walked over and Peter went back to the guys. Peter and Ray discussed a fee and Egon swept the place for PKE valences. I walked over to my parents and I smiled.

"I'm Abigail." I greeted, using my sister's name. Claudia smiled, holding out her hand, "Nice to meet you Abigail."

I shook my mother's hand. It was a firm handshake, but it was warm and kind. I smiled.

"So, first child?" I asked Claudia.

"Yeah, we're moving to Australia a few months after she's born. New York is so big, and so crowded. We need a place with space. And we like it there." Claudia said, looking at her husband.

"You're Australian, aren't you?" John asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Then why'd you leave?" He asked.

I felt pained when he asked that. My home wasn't home anymore. When Abigail got married, we drifted. We still saw each other a lot, but I had to live with Abigail and her husband until I was allowed to move out. And then...I was alone. Sure, I had Mina and Gordon, but I lived alone. Far away from any family or friends.

I put on my best fake smile, "I couldn't stand the heat."

I missed home. I was in an outback town, but all those times we had visited the coast. The salty smell of the waters in Bondi Beach, a New South Wales place near Sydney. That was the only time I had visited the ocean. Abigail and I had scattered our parents' ashes into the sea there when I was younger. They had loved the ocean, Abigail had told me.

"Ah." John nodded. We all talked more and more, until we had to go.

John paid Peter and they shook hands, and I looked back at Claudia – my mum. I had only known her properly know for 5 minutes. John would've been a great dad, Claudia a great mum. Ones I wouldn't get to have as parents – for long.

"Well, it looks like you're going." John noted, looking as the guys packed up.

"Heh, guess I am." I smiled sadly, "Good luck. With the kid and all." I told them. They nodded. "I'd...I'd better go." I said with a wave, going to the guys. Not even a hug. I was holding back tears.

"See ya, Abigail!" Claudia called happily. This pained me beyond belief. The guys walked me outside and we all walked to the elevator.

"Couldn't you have just told them to be careful on that..." Winston asked me. I knew what he was talking about, "No. Our family dog was with them. The dog was the ghost that visited me. If I told them, then the dog wouldn't have...Passed. If the dog didn't go, then it wouldn't have visited me and I wouldn't be here." I explained. He nodded.

Peter pressed the button for the elevator and the doors opened. He pressed the button for the ground floor and we were silent. My eyes were welling up – no, not here, please not here – I felt a hot tear come down my cheek and I held my breath, the pain eating me from the inside. I don't want to cry! No!

I saw Peter glance back at me and his eyes widened, "You gonna be OK?" He asked me worriedly.

I whimpered as I felt my tears come down my cheeks, "No!" I cried out. I closed my eyes in pain and fright – I didn't want them to see me like this! I still cried, my breathing coming out in rasps.

I felt arms all grasp around me, and a finger brushing off my tears. I opened my eyes to see Winston wiping my tears. Peter, Ray and Egon were all hugging me.

"It's OK to cry, Kat. You've just been strong for too long." Ray told me.

"But I didn't even get a proper good bye! I didn't get a hug or anything! My parents don't even know I exist and it-it isn't fair!" I cried. "And they were so happy!"

The elevator doors opened and we all hurried outside and to the Ecto-1. The guys packed up their equipment and Winston vouched to drive. Peter sat next to me, Ray and Egon across from us.

"I don't even have a family." I murmured, Peter rubbing my back, resting an arm around my shoulder.

"Of course you do, Kat. You have us." Ray told me. I looked up at him.

"Yeah, we're all family. You're the little sister, and Ray, Egon, Winston and I are your brothers." Peter told me, giving me a noogie.

I laughed, "Stop!" I said.

Peter smiled, "No! That's what brothers do!" he laughed. I smiled. I did miss my parents, but I had 4 great brothers. I can remember when I told Peter I had had 2 brothers. It was a lie, of course, but I had brothers now.

I had family.


End file.
